


opening (default)

by fruti2flutie



Category: Fruits Basket
Genre: Basically: Furuba Trio Doesn't Understand Technology, Canon Compliant, Gen, Humor, No Spoilers, Phone Calls & Telephones, Silly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:07:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25102153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fruti2flutie/pseuds/fruti2flutie
Summary: Shigure forgets his phone at home and leaves Tohru with the task of keeping it company. Tohru, who has never owned a phone in her life, tries her best — with some help.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 17





	opening (default)

**Author's Note:**

> i've been thinking abt this concept for a while, so here it is!!! (this was gonna be a part of a series, but i don't think i'll ever make it there lol) the timing of this fic is set post-hot springs & pre-soup, so there are no spoilers s2 & nothing major for s1 either :^)
> 
> just to be safe: rated T for minor swearing, an unexplained & bad dirty joke, a reference to potential drunk driving (don't do that)

"Eh? You've forgotten your cell phone?" Tohru cradles the receiver closer to her face, fiddling with the cord. She's answering the call from the landline, which had rung before she'd even begun making breakfast.

On the other end of the line, Shigure sighs. " _Yes, that seems to be the case, Tohru-kun._ " He sighs once more, whiningly. " _I was so thoughtless, so careless! I am_ so _ashamed._ "

Tohru has gotten used to Shigure's antics these past few months of living with him, but ever since he'd gotten a new phone earlier this week the antics have gotten especially lively. It feels like every other moment Shigure is singing his praises for the sleek design and improved functionality of the phone in some extravagant way. Tohru is clueless when it comes to the technological item she can't afford, so she's only familiar with Shigure's fondness for it. 

Extreme fondness, to be frank, that makes Tohru worry he'll self-destruct without it. He's at a writer's conference today in the city, which means he'll be phone-less for hours. 

"Should I go bring it to you?" she asks. "I have no plans for today." 

" _Nonsense! You shouldn't waste your precious Sunday with such trivial matters._ "

"But your conference—"

" _Even more reason not to have it! I need to live in the_ moment _, my dear. Plus, I have Mit-chan here to be responsible for me._ " Shigure hums thoughtfully and then asks, " _Tohru-kun, could you do me a favor and keep my phone company in the meantime?_ "

"Of course!" Tohru exclaims. "But... what does that mean, exactly?"

" _Screen my calls! So, answer when I get a call and make a note of what the speaker says. My voicemail isn't set up and I'd rather not figure it out anytime soon, so your help would be fantastic! My phone should be on my desk. Oh, it's locked, though._ _Well, I don't think you'll need to worry about that. And unlocking the phone is fairly simple, so I'm sure you can figure it out, if need be._ "

Tohru doesn't know how much of the spiel she retains, the cogs in her brain going into overdrive as he talks. "Shigure-san, I'm not certain that I can—"

" _You'll do_ fine _, rest assured._ _I have to get going; Mit-chan is hysterically screaming my name over there. I'll be home late in the evening, so don't wait for me!_ "

The call ends, abrupt. Tohru stares at the receiver, expecting to hear Shigure's bark, but is met with only the voiceless buzz of white noise. 

Kyo comes down the stairs, then, peering at Tohru. "Who called so early?"

"Shigure-san," Tohru replies. "He's forgotten his phone."

"What an idiot," Kyo grumbles. He rushes to clarify, "I-I'm not calling _you_ the idiot. That jerk is the..." He trails off, scratching his neck. "Does Shigure want you to bring it to him or something?"

Tohru pumps her fists, psyching herself up. "He's asked me to care for it," she proclaims, determined.

"Uh, okay. Good luck, I guess." Kyo glances towards the kitchen. "You still making breakfast?"

"Y-Yes! I'm so sorry for the delay!"

"No rush," Kyo says, tone annoyed. "It's Sunday. Chill out."

Tohru lets her shoulders relax. "Yes," she repeats, calmer. Kyo rolls his eyes and walks into the living room to set the table. 

Cooking breakfast is one of Tohru's daily tasks. She typically prepares it the night before, but since it's the weekend she has the time to cook in the morning. Because Shigure isn't here and Yuki forgoes breakfast on days he can sleep in, she only makes small portions for herself and Kyo. When she's finished, she brings the food out and then scurries to Shigure's office.

On the desk sits the cell phone, white exterior and black screen. When Tohru picks it up, it nearly flies out of her hands because she hadn't realized how lightweight it is. She's never had a cell phone, so her interactions with and knowledge of them are sparse. Her friends are in the same boat — Hanajima doesn't find one necessary, and Uotani plans to get her own once she has enough part-time job money. Yuki and Kyo don't have cell phones either. 

Not only is she clueless, but she's _curious_ , with a wonder akin to a child's.She feels her heart racing as she grips the phone tightly and examines it.

On the back, there's an apple decal as well as a dark circle that resembles a camera lens. In the front, there's an even smaller dark circle near the top of the screen. Another lens for the camera, perhaps? There are buttons along the sides, two on the left and one on the right, and a button towards the bottom of the screen. When Tohru presses them, the screen remains black. 

That does not seem like a good sign. 

Tohru returns to the living room, meek. "Um, Kyo-kun?"

The orange-haired boy is in the middle of eating, staring into the courtyard. Upon hearing his name, he turns his head and grunts, "What do you want?"

Taking a seat, she places the phone on the table. "Do you know how to unlock a cell phone? Shigure-san said that it's locked, and I... I don't know how to open it."

Kyo puts down his chopsticks and picks up the phone, scrutinizing it like it's a rock from off the road. "So what? It needs a key?"

"Shigure-san didn't say," Tohru proclaims, unable to mask her dejection. "I'm not sure how it works at all. He's busy at the conference, also, so we won't be able to contact him directly."

"' _We_ '?" Kyo echoes. "How did I get dragged into this?"

"Kyo-kun, I don't mean to bother, but..." Tohru claps her hands together and bows her head. "Please help me with Shigure-san's phone today!" 

"Help you, _how_? What are you even doing for him?"

Tohru lifts her head. "I'm screening his calls." 

"What does that even mean?" Kyo asks, voice flat.

"Answering and writing down what the other person says, I believe." Slowly, Tohru begins to deflate. "However, I have no idea how a cell phone works, so I'm at quite a loss..."

Kyo stares at her and then the phone, lifeless by his bowl, and sighs loudly. "Fine," he concedes. "I'll help you after breakfast."

Tohru instantly brightens. "Thank you so much!" Kyo doesn't pick up his chopsticks again, though, and just squints at her. She blinks. "Is something the matter, Kyo-kun?"

" _You_ have to eat, too."

"Oh," Tohru says, surprised. She smiles. "Yes, I'll eat as well. I can't believe I almost forgot!"

"Dummy," Kyo murmurs, back to staring into the courtyard with ears faintly tinged red.

——

For once, Yuki wakes before noon. After he overcomes the usual morning grogginess, he readies for the day and makes himself more presentable, buttoning a fresh shirt to the collar. When he's done, he hops down the stairs and into the living room, where Tohru and Kyo appear to be staring resolutely at a cell phone on the table. The mood of the room is oddly desolate.

"Honda-san, what are you doing?" Yuki asks, concerned. 

"Good morning, Yuki-kun," Tohru says, lacking her normal springiness. "I've been put in charge of Shigure's phone, but it's locked and sadly I have no idea how to open it..."

"And what is this useless cat doing?"

Kyo's head snaps towards Yuki. "I was _helping_ her." He grits his teeth as the gray-haired boy scoffs. 

"If you could offer any advice, that would be a great help," Tohru proclaims. "We've been stuck for a while. Neither of us are tech savvy." Kyo bristles in silence, unable to refute the claim.

Yuki sits beside her and takes the phone, inspecting it. "I don't think it's on." He carefully turns it over in his hands, fingers running along the right side of it. "Did you try pressing this button?"

Kyo grumbles, "Would she be asking you for help if we hadn't already pressed that button? Jesus Christ."

Yuki ignores Kyo in favor of passing the phone back to Tohru and asking her, "Did you try holding it down? If my intuition is correct, it's for the power."

"What difference does that make?" Kyo growls. "We already _pressed_ it, and it doesn't—"

"It's turning on, I think!" Tohru exclaims. Kyo shuts up immediately. 

"Stupid cat," Yuki sighs.

"Don't pretend like you actually know how to work it," Kyo declares, crossing his arms.

"I know how the internet works," Yuki counters. 

Kyo points to the glowing apple on the screen. "Does this _look_ like the internet?" Yuki doesn't answer him, and Kyo gets to sit back, smug.

(All three of them are equally ignorant of the workings of a cell phone, but only Tohru is humble enough to share that weakness.)

"Oh, I think this is what Shigure-san meant by locked!" Tohru shows the other two the screen, positively glowing at the discovery. "There's a passcode, see? We have to use numbers!"

"Four digits?" Kyo grimaces. "This'll take ages to crack."

"We can try guessing," Tohru suggests. "He mentioned it was simple."

Kyo says, " _0000._ "

Tohru tries it. "It didn't work..."

Yuki says, " _1234._ "

"Not that either."

Kyo says, more forcefully, " _1111._ "

Tohru shakes her head. "Still no luck." Kyo throws his hands in the air, patience wearing thin. 

"What about his birthday?" Yuki asks.

"Do you _know_ his birthday?" Kyo retorts. 

A long, palpable silence passes.

"We can just try some other guesses," Yuki says. 

The three of them collaborate for a few more minutes to determine possible combinations, but the effort is futile. Nothing seems to be working; Shigure's definition of "simple" must differ greatly from theirs. By the time they think they've exhausted their options, an alert shows on the screen as the keypad simultaneously disappears. 

"D-Disabled? Try again in one minute?" reads Tohru, frantic. "What does that mean?"

"Doesn't sound good," Kyo says. "We did too many wrong tries, so it's probably punishing us." 

Tohru gasps. "Then... What'll happen if we get another incorrect guess?" Kyo shrugs. She whimpers.

Yuki hits Kyo over the head as he stands. "Stop scaring Honda-san." He smiles at Tohru, dodging Kyo's attempt at an ankle sweep. "I'm going to call Haru. He's good with technology, so maybe he can help."

"That'd be wonderful," Tohru says, mildly relieved. 

For some reason, Haru's cell phone number is written on a sticky note on the fridge, which is eerily convenient. Yuki uses the landline to call him and the younger boy picks up right away, excited in that deadpan way of his. Before Yuki can explain Tohru's situation, Haru interrupts by inviting himself over to have the lecture there. Haru keeps the call going as he gets ready to leave, just because, and Yuki is stuck to the phone, regrettably thankful. 

In the meantime, Tohru stares dejectedly at the cell phone on the table while Kyo lounges on the veranda. Eventually, he asks if she can cut some fruit for a mid-morning snack. Tohru agrees, and as she hurriedly tries to decide what fruit would be best to eat, Kyo speaks up again. 

"Stop fussing over everything," he says. "Whatever is fine. It's not a big deal."

The comment comes from a good place despite how rough it sounds, Tohru knows. She grins. "Apples it is."

——

When Haru arrives, he's dressed like he's one ski mask away from robbing the local convenience store. He could probably pass as a robber, too, if he weren't hugging his backpack to his stomach like a kid out of kindergarten. The image is always jarring for Kyo, who likely won't ever get used to Haru's goth/punk aesthetic that clashes with his docile personality. 

"Heyo, Kyo," Haru greets airily as he passes Kyo to come inside. 

"Sure, come right in, why don't ya." As Haru glides down the hall, Kyo adds as an afterthought, "Hey, watch out for—"

A sudden yet familiar burst of air erupts from the living room, followed by a high-pitched shriek and a very distinct _moo_. Kyo sighs. 

"The girl, idiot."

Tohru, having fallen onto the floor from shock, stammers, "H-Hello, Hatsuharu-san." 

The cow blocking the entranceway blinks slowly. "My bad," he says. 

"You should be more aware of your surroundings, Haru," Yuki chides, gathering Haru's bag and clothes to bring into the living room. 

"Sorry," Haru says. He stares at the plate of apples on the table, absently flaring his nostrils. "Would it be better to eat those before or after I transform back? Thoughts."

The consensus is unanimously _after_ , so Haru trots across the room and settles in the courtyard to wait out the Curse. Yuki scolds him, again, because if he transforms there he'll be completely exposed and no one wants to see that. Haru, again, trots across the room and gets about halfway to the hallway before the cloud of smoke appears and Tohru starts screaming, again. 

Once Haru is properly dressed, he sits with the three of them in the living room. As he chews on an apple slice, he prompts, "Phone?" Tohru slides Shigure's phone towards him, and he stuffs the entire apple slice into his mouth to have a free hand to grab it.

"You're a real hassle," Kyo grumbles under his breath. 

" _Mmthrbtht_ ," Haru says, garbled. Once he's properly swallowed, he pulls out his own phone from his backpack and notes, "Sensei's phone is the same model as mine. Cool."

"When did you get a phone, Haru?" Yuki asks. "I thought the Sohma kids weren't allowed to have cell phones until after high school."

Haru turns directly towards Kyo. "Remember that time I got lost for three days looking for you?"

"Don't act like that was in any way my fault."

Haru doesn't respond to Kyo's interjection, making the orange-haired boy instinctively hiss. "Well, after that fiasco, Mother insisted I get one. The GPS function is pretty useful for getting around. And there's probably a tracker in this, so that helps the family out, too."

"O-Oh, um..." Tohru laughs nervously. Yuki gives her a look that embodies, _that's just how it is — don't bother._

Haru begins to eat another apple slice. "Now, what's the problem?"

"We're trying to unlock Shigure's phone, but we're stuck," Yuki declares. "Do you have any idea what the password could be?"

"I can guess." 

"We already _tried_ that," Kyo snarls. 

Haru shrugs. "I think I can try better." 

"What does that even... Nevermind."

When the keypad reappears on Shigure's screen, Tohru warns, "Be careful, Hatsuharu-san. We... disabled it earlier, for a minute."

"Did you try again after that?" Haru asks. Tohru shakes her head. "That's good. Disabling it is nothing to really worry about 'til you reach six hours."

"S-S-Six hours!?"

Haru nods, nonchalant, and eats the last apple. Then, he types a few numbers, resulting in an audible _click._ "Unlocked," he says. Shocked, Tohru applauds him; Kyo and Yuki stare at him in awe. 

"What was it?" Yuki asks, collecting the empty plate to bring to the kitchen.

Haru looks up and says, straightfaced, " _6969._ "

Yuki drops the plate. It doesn't break, just sort of bounces onto the floor, but it feels like it should. 

"That insensitive pervert," he says at the same time Kyo mutters, "What a creep." Tohru glances between them, worriedly curious, but the boys decide the explanation is best left unsaid.

"What'd you need to unlock it for, anyway?" Haru asks, when Yuki returns to the room. "Were you gonna peep through his search history? Bet it's freaky."

Tohru explains the situation, but it seems to confuse him. 

"Don't you know you can answer the phone with it still being locked? You slide the green ringing icon across the screen, and it picks up — without needing the password."

No one responds to him. It takes a moment for them to mourn the wasted hour trying to deal with Shigure's vague instructions. It's probable that the choice was deliberate just to mess with them, none the wiser.

"You're all... older than me, right? That means you're supposed to be smarter, right?" 

The headlock Kyo puts Haru in is justified, the elder claims, as he furiously grinds the white hair with his knuckles. Haru doesn't try to break free, body as limp as a ragdoll, as if he's accepted it. He makes a low groaning noise, though, not unlike the sound of a cow, that Tohru perceives as a cry for help. 

"Kyo-kun!" she exclaims. He glares at her, and she yelps. "I-I don't think Hatsuharu-san was trying to offend us..." 

"Doesn't mean I can't be _offended_ ," Kyo growls.

"You're still smart," Haru declares, but it one-hundred percent sounds sarcastic and does little to quell Kyo's anger.

"None of us has ever had a cell phone, Haru," Yuki finally says. "Be more understanding."

Haru thinks about this information. Silently, he gives a thumbs-up. When Kyo lets him go, he stretches his neck and asks, "Can I stay for lunch?"

"Freeloader," Kyo mumbles. 

"Yes, of course," Tohru says happily. "Do you have any particular requests?"

Haru looks to the ceiling, and then at Tohru. "Lobster," he responds. 

Tohru gapes, and Kyo falls on his back. 

Yuki's eye twitches involuntarily. "Be more _reasonable_ , too."

"Salad," Haru says.

"Your preferences are all over the place," Kyo accuses halfheartedly.

"I can make a light lunch with sandwiches and salad," Tohru says. "How about that?"

Haru gives another thumbs-up, his other hand occupied by inexplicably swiping left and right on Shigure's phone. Cheerful, Tohru skips towards the kitchen and announces lunch will be ready shortly. Yuki sighs, Kyo closes his eyes, and honestly, it feels like just another Sunday. 

——

After lunch, Haru takes a nap on the veranda, Kyo trains in the courtyard, and Yuki goes to his room to read a book. Tohru does chores around the house, mostly cleaning at the first level. She keeps Shigure's phone on the living room table, next to a folded hand towel, where it's almost always in her sight. 

The first and only phone call she receives is while she's sweeping the floors, the notification trilling like tiny bells along a string. She startles and nearly hits herself with the broom. When she goes to pick up the call, the title that appears on the screen shocks her.

_💕 Beloved Ha-san 💕_

Her cheeks unconsciously heat up; it feels as if she's intruded on something intimate with the hearts and all, especially since she doesn't recognize the name. She clears her throat before answering, though her opening phrase still comes out as a stutter. 

"H-Hello, this is Sohma Shigure's phone. May I ask who is speaking?"

The line is quiet for a few seconds, until: " _... Honda-san?_ "

 _A man's voice!_ "Y-Y-Yes, that's me! Um, do you have business with Shigure-san, sir?"

" _Honda-san, it's Sohma Hatori._ "

Oh! _Now_ the personalized name makes sense. Shigure and Hatori are very close, and the extravagant nickname must be a product of joking and love. Tohru is relieved she's not speaking with a stranger, having saved herself a smidgeon of embarrassment.

"Hello, Hatori-san! What is it you need?"

" _Before I get to that, can I ask why you're acting as Shigure's secretary?_ "

"Eh? Secretary? Hm, I suppose you could say that... I'm taking care of Shigure-san's phone since he left it at home. He's preoccupied at a writer's conference today."

" _I see._ " A pen clicks. " _Well, I was giving him a call to remind him about an appointment we have on Tuesday. Nothing life-threatening, of course. Can you relay the message?_ "

"Absolutely!" After scribbling down the note on a piece of scrap paper, Tohru asks, "Anything else?"

" _No, that'll be all. Thank you, Honda-san._ "

"You're quite welcome. I'm happy to have been of help for Shigure-san."

Hatori sighs, sounding exasperated. " _Shigure is clearly at fault for his mistake. I'm certain he's spoiled by your kindness._ "

"I wouldn't say that." Tohru lets out a bashful chuckle. "I would have done the same for any of the Sohmas, really. Although, I'm not very accustomed to handling a cell phone..."

" _You're doing a fine job, as far as I can tell._ " 

Tohru blushes, touched. "Thank you, Hatori-san." 

All of a sudden, there is a stampede of footsteps coming from the other side of the call, along with a high-pitched voice, loud and faraway. 

" _Is that Tohru? Tohru! Tohru, can you hear me?_ Da ich bin! _It's Momiji, can't you tell? Ha'ri, put it on speakerphone! Share!_ "

" _Honda-san, you're on speakerphone_ ," Hatori declares dully. 

Momiji, on the other hand, is ecstatic. " _Tohru!_ Guten tag, _Tohru! Hello!_ "

"Good afternoon, Momiji-kun! How are you?"

" _Fantastic, now that I've heard your voice._ " Momiji giggles, sounding pleased with himself. " _Why're you calling Ha'ri? Is something the matter?_ " He gasps loudly. " _Is Yuki sick? Are_ you _sick? Oh, no, Tohru, you can't be sick — I won't allow it!_ "

"Don't worry! I'm completely healthy." 

" _Phew! You had me_ scared _for a second._ " Momiji hums. " _Wait, so why is Tohru on the phone with Ha'ri?_ " Hatori's voice is heard in the background, at a relatively low volume. " _Ohhh. Oh, okay. I get it, yup. I see. Shigure is a bad guy._ "

Tohru laughs unsurely. "W-Well..."

" _You should spend your Sunday having fun, Tohru, not phone-watching! Sounds too boring._ "

"I'm having a good time," she admits. "Hatsuharu-san came over to help. We had lunch, and he showed us some cool things on the cell phone."

Haru had given Tohru an overview of all the pre-installed Applications on Shigure's phone. Ones for convenience include Calculator, which is a calculator, and Notes, which is for notes. (She had definitely overestimated how self-explanatory much of the device is.) He had demonstrated the camera, snapping candid photos of Yuki and posing expressionless with an irritated Kyo. Tohru has always loved photos, so she became most interested in that feature. 

In addition, Haru had downloaded a number of obscure games on Shigure's phone. ("I'd like to see Sensei get addicted," he'd said, but it was impossible to gage the seriousness of his statement.) There's one that consists of building cubic blocks and digging holes, another where the objective is to get a chicken to cross traffic. Tohru had discovered very quickly she's not at all a gamer. It had also been humbling once Kyo and Yuki tried to compete using the mobile games, evenly matched in how unskilled they are. 

" _WHAT!?_ _You did all that, but Haru didn't think to bring_ me _?_ " Momiji sounds horrifically appalled. " _Tohru, I have a cell phone, too! Can I come over to play with you guys? And eat food? We can eat dinner altogether!_ " 

"I think that'd be lovely." Tohru sees movement out of the corner of her eye; it's Yuki descending the stairs, and they share a quiet smile as he walks to the kitchen. 

" _Yay! I'll head over right now!_ " There's a rush of scampering, and then Momiji shouting to the winds, " _Hello, someone, please, bring me a car!_ "

The footsteps recede after several seconds, but Momiji's voice is still loud and ever-present in the area. He's yelling about his bunny bag, his phone charger, his snacks. When he's out of range, Tohru carefully speaks up again. 

"Um, Hatori-san?"

" _Yes, Honda-san, I'm still here._ "

Tohru exhales. "I apologize for the ruckus."

" _No need. Normally the commotion comes unwanted from Shigure's end, so this was... different._ "

"You could say that..."

" _It killed some time_ ," he says, and Tohru's imagining him smiling. " _I actually have an appointment soon, so I'll leave you to your devices._ "

"Oh, of course. Goodbye, Hatori-san!"

When Tohru puts down the phone, Yuki returns to the living room with a bottle of juice and asks, "How was your call?"

"Good! It was Hatori-san; he left a message for Shigure-san. And Momiji-kun is coming!"

Kyo comes back inside from training, noticeably sweating. As he accepts the towel Tohru hands him, he frowns. "Wait, did you say Momiji's coming over? Seriously?" 

"For dinner," Tohru chirps, cheerful. Kyo grimaces.

From the veranda, where he now appears to be sunbathing, Haru declares, "The more, the merrier, I always say."

"Don't act like this is your house, you damn ox," Kyo sneers. "Why are you still here? Your nap is over."

"Just in case you have any more questions that a Gen Z child can answer," Haru says. He blinks. "And dinner sounds good."

One can see Kyo's willpower at work preventing him from putting the kid in another headlock. "You're only _one year_ younger than us," he declares through gritted teeth. Haru shrugs, and the vein on Kyo's forehead pulses. 

"Ah!" Tohru exclaims, struck with an epiphany that makes her deflate just as quickly. "I should've asked Momiji-kun for his dinner request..." 

"I can text him," Haru suggests. Tohru's eyes shimmer with amazement as she watches him type and send the message. A few seconds later, his phone vibrates. "Oh, he replied. Look."

_Japanese food!!!!! Fish Cakes!! NOODLES!!!!!! o(*^▽^*)o_

"So fast," Tohru marvels. Kyo looks impressed, too.

"Texting is handy," Yuki remarks. "Very efficient, not to mention fast. It's almost like magic."

"That makes me a magician." Haru turns to Kyo, then, but keeps silent, putting the older boy on edge.

"Why're you staring at me? It's creeping me out."

"I'm trying to make smarter with my magic, because I'm a magician. Can you feel it working?"

When Momiji arrives, Kyo has finally snapped and has Haru held in a chokehold. (The scene contrasts the soft music playing from Shigure's phone in the kitchen.) Momiji sees this, thinks it's a more advanced hug, and jumps into them. The loud clattering startles Tohru, causing her to trip and make the bowl she's holding go flying. No explosions occur, but Yuki does get a taste of spilled soba and is in dire need of an outfit change.

——

Shigure enters the house whistling, noting the extra pairs of shoes in the doorway. When he strolls into the living room, he announces his arrival and then makes a noise of surprise. "Why, Haru-kun and Momicchi are here — how shocking!"

"This is all your fault," Kyo grumbles, shaking his head. "If you hadn't forgotten your phone like an old man and made her do your—" 

Shigure kicks Kyo's back as he goes to kneel by Tohru's side, expression distressed. "How can you deal with all his whining? It's terrible. Like nails on a chalkboard!"

"Hey!"

"It's true," Yuki says. Kyo snarls at him.

"You smell like alcohol, Sensei," comments Haru.

"There was an impromptu drinking party at dinner," Shigure says. All eyes either widen in disbelief or narrow in scrutiny. "Don't worry, children. Mit-chan took the wheel before I could."

"Are you saying that you would've driven if Mitsuru-san wasn't there?" Yuki asks, incredulous.

Shigure smiles. "Mm, is there any food for me, Tohru-kun?"

"Don't dodge the question!" Kyo and Yuki shout in unison. Shigure gives a ditzy expression, sticking out his tongue and rubbing the back of his head, which appeases no one. 

Tohru plays the mediator, gingerly addressing Shigure's original question. "There's definitely enough for you to eat," she says, shuffling to the kitchen to make him a bowl. "I actually cooked a lot. We may even have enough for tomorrow!" 

"Leftovers are the best," Haru says wistfully. He calls out to Tohru, "I'll take some to-go, please."

"Me too!" Momiji exclaims, between a mouthful of fish cake. 

"We're not a restaurant," Kyo points out. 

Momiji pouts. "Kyo is being stingy because _he_ wants to be the only one Tohru cooks for."

"W-What!? Shut up!" 

As they continue their lively dinner, Shigure requests casually, "Tohru-kun, may I have my phone back?" 

Tohru is terrible at hiding her sigh of relief. "Oh, of course," she says, nodding. She leaves the room and returns with the phone and scrap of paper. "Here you go. You only had one call from Hatori-san, reminding you of your appointment on Tuesday."

"Thank you, my dear. Did you have any issues? Any hiccups?"

"Um..." Tohru assures shakily, "N-No problems at all!"

Kyo rolls his eyes. " _Tch._ " 

"Consider changing your password, Shigure," Yuki advises. 

"Yeah, it's too easy," Haru adds. 

Yuki thins his lips. "That's... not the issue, Haru." 

"You three don't have phones. We are not the same."

Kyo clocks Haru on the head. "Stop with that weird undertone."

After he's finished his soba, Momiji chirps excitedly, "Tohru, when you get a phone, you should make me your first contact!" 

"I don't think I'll get one any time soon," Tohru admits. "They're a bit expensive, and I have everyone I'd want to talk to nearby."

Momiji buzzes his lips, unsatisfied with the response. "If you move far, _far_ away one day," he begins, "you'll need a phone to talk to all your friends, like me! So, you _have_ to get one, and make _me_ your number one. Please, please, please—"

"It's hypothetical, Tohru-kun," Shigure says, amused. "I don't think he'll stop otherwise."

"Okay," Tohru concedes, smiling. "Whenever that day may come. Don't get your hopes up too high, alright?"

Momiji does the opposite, jumping a foot in the air and cheering, " _Vunderbar!_ Take that, Kyo-kun!"

"I didn't even say anything, brat."

Dinner isn't always this boisterous, but it's fun every once in a while to have guests over to entertain. Momiji loves indulging Tohru's curiosity, so he proudly shows off his phone to her (with Yuki and Kyo not-so-discretely sneaking peeks). The home and lock screen wallpapers are pastel images of various sweets; his Applications are neatly organized, separated into alphabetical categories and pages. Haru shows off his phone again, too, where he has an entire folder in his gallery dedicated to memes about his favorite video game. 

As Shigure attempts to join the conversation, unlocking his own phone, he makes a perplexing discovery. "Tohru-kun, why do I have six new Apps?" 

Shocked, Tohru waves her hands in front of her defensively. "U-Um, Hatsuharu-san, well..."

"Play them," Haru goads. "There are lots of pretty girls that show up, if you advance your level enough."

Kyo rolls his eyes and Yuki sighs; Tohru and Momiji giggle amongst themselves. Shigure pays an exorbitant amount for an unsuccessful gacha pull, which Haru marks as a prank well-done. 

Overall, Tohru thinks it's been a memorable Sunday.

**Author's Note:**

> check me out on [tumblr](https://fruti2flutie.tumblr.com/) for more uhhhh of my stuff. also: if you like furuba fanmade content, from writing to art to merch, you should check out [furubazine](https://furubazine.tumblr.com/) which is coming out soon :*


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